The Ten Best Happy Hours in Miami 2017

Happy hour in Miami isn't a pastime; it's a way of life. Think of it as the only time when cheap drinks, even cheaper eats, and a buzzy vibe unite inside some of the Magic City's finest restaurants. These daily happenings make destinations such as the Sarsaparilla Club and Mignonette Uptown accessible for more than just one drink.

Dozens of restaurants offer drink specials between the end-of-work whistle and suppertime, but some spots go beyond the expected, where great grub and premium booze are always a guaran tee. And some places even offer a bonus round by repeating happy-hour deals after dinner service winds down.

Here are the ten places in Miami that give you the most bang for your happy-hour buck.

1. Ricky's Happy hour at Ricky's is simple. Expect 50 percent off every drink and bite on the menu. This spot also offers the longest weekday happy hour in South Beach, running Monday through Friday from 5 to 10 p.m. Think of it as a happy-hour-special-turned-dinner-discount. Plus, every alcoholic drink purchase comes with two tokens to spend at Ricky's arcade.

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2. Beaker & Gray At Beaker & Gray, the happy-hour drink menu, curated by bar manager/owner Ben Potts, offers beer, wine, and cocktails — such as Moscow mules, daiquiris, and margaritas — for $5 all summer long. A lineup of snacks includes grilled cheese, crudités, cheesy fries, mochi, cheese poppers, and kettle corn, which are also priced at $5 during the summer. The offer is good Monday through Friday from 4 to 7 p.m. Night owls get a bonus round, because happy hour repeats Monday through Thursday from 11 p.m. to 2 a.m.

3. Phuc Yea The Viet-Cajun restaurant Phuc Yea hosts happy hour from 6 to 8 p.m. Wednesday through Saturday, 4 to 7 p.m. Sunday, and late night from 10 p.m. to midnight Thursday through Sunday. During those hours, enjoy $6 cocktails and well drinks, $6 house wines, and $3 Estrella Damm. Weekdays, expect a selection of $6 bites such as crisp tofu, caramel chicken wings, and sausage- and shrimp-stuffed rolls, as well as half-priced oysters. Food specials aren't available on the weekend, though.

4. Mignonette Uptown This seafood joint in North Miami Beach offers two happy hours: an early bird from 5:30 to 7 p.m. and a night owl from 9 p.m. until close. Visit the restaurant after work $1 oyster varieties on the marquee, $7 smoked fish dip, $5 beer, and $9 wine. At 9 p.m., the early-bird menu becomes available again and adds a cheeseburger, curly fries, and milkshake for $17. Both happy hours run daily.

6. Rusty Pelican Here's a reason to visit the Rusty Pelican for something other than Mother's Day and your birthday: happy hour. Every Monday through Friday from 4 to 7 p.m., the lounge at the Pelican offers some of the best deals in Miami with arguably the best view in South Florida. Sip $3 beers; $5 well drinks, including martinis, mojitos, and margaritas; $5 house wines; and $7 specialty drinks, such as the restaurant's strawberry mule, Pelican caipirinha, Rusty Spice, and Agave Sunset). Chow down on small bites like corvina ceviche ($9) and Serrano ham croquettes ($9).

7. Sarsaparilla Club Every evening before sunset, from 5 to 8 p.m., head to Jeff McInnis and Janine Booth's dim-sum-style happy hour at the Sarsaparilla Club inside the Shelborne South Beach. A selection of plates, including pork-belly bacon steamed buns, sea salt French fries, carrot and beet tartare, and crispy fried chicken wings, are priced at $7 each. Cocktails and the drink of the day cost $7 as well, and select beer is $5.

8. The Local Craft Food & Drink The Local offers half-priced draft beers, wines by the glass, and well liquors from 4 to 7 p.m. Tuesday through Sunday. (The restaurant is closed Monday.) From 11 p.m. to 2 a.m., the Local features a late-night "In the Biz" special, available just for those who work in the hospitality industry.

Courtesy of 27 Restaurant & Bar

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Clarissa Buch has been named a “Local Expert” by Tasting Table. She writes about food and culture for local and national publications. You can find her in restaurants where she asks, photographs, and eats way too much (in that order).